BASICS


BASICS: "Hummingbirds.....where is the person, I ask, who, on observing this glittering fragment of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and turn his mind with reverence..." (J. J. Audubon).
This is a blog about my summer life at the Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary, at my winter garden, Calypso, in the Bahamas, and aspects of life in general.
This private sanctuary is now permanently closed to the general public, as a result of a lawsuit brought by a neighbor. Only my friends and personal guests may visit (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu).

Friday, May 31, 2013

The Owl and the Pussy-cat


The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
    In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
    Wrapped up in a five pound note.

- Edward Lear

Yesterday, as I watched the sunset here in Baiting Hollow, a Great Horned Owl landed on the top of a pine a short distance down on the bluff; he was silhouetted against the pink fading light, a very large bird, though his weight did not seem to bend the topmost branch. He seemed to watch and listen to me for a minute. But then quite unexpectedly, and almost equally rarely, a cat came round the corner of the front cabin, and soon the owl took off. Of course I was reminded of Lear's famous poem. I know there is a Great Horned Owl in the woods behind me, but I've never seen one on the bluff before.

I saw a male hummingbird perching on a branch near the rear cabin almost immediately on my arrival here last sunday. I see him occasionally several times a day as he does the rounds of his feeders, never lingering unnecessarily. I've only seen a female once - she lingered at a feeder but then sped back, presumably to her nest. I'll post pictures soon. In the mean time, here's a snap of one of the beautiful places we visited in North Carolina on our way back north, Hope Plantation near Edenton.




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